Sampling apparatus



Aug. 23, 1966 ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,267,737 SAMPLING APPARATUS Karl A. Biebigllauser, St. Paul, Minn., assigner to Minneapolis-St. Paul Sanitary District, St. Paul, Minn., a municipal corporation Filed Oct. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 319,150 3 Claims. (Cl. 73-423) The present invention relates generally to material transfer apparatus and more specifically to an improved sampling apparatus for obtaining samples of liqu-id, grain, or other particulate material. Certain processes require periodic sampling of the product or material produced. The latter is true in the chemical industry and other fields in which quality control is of prime importance.

While certain devices are known in the art for sampling material such devices are sometimes of a complex nature and frequently require continued su-rveillance and maintenance. The apparatus of this invention can be made responsive to weight, time, flow, etc.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a substantially simplified sampling apparatus which is easy to manufacture, simple to operate and efficiently capable of sampling various substances as the need arises. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sampling apparatus which can function as an autom-atic or semi-automatic sampler.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification and the appended drawings in v which;

FIG. l is a side elevational View in partial section of the preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along, and in the direction of line 2 2 of FIG. l, and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the sampling cup of FIG. 1.

The sampling apparatus as seen in FIG. l includes `and actuating cylinder 12 which has operative therein a reciprocal piston 16 and an axially extending shaft 18, The sha-ft 18 is provided on its end opposite the piston 16 with a removable material sampling cup 20 which is carried t-o and from the material to be samp-led by the shaft 18 when the piston 16 is actuated. The shaft 18 is also provi-ded with a cam follower or projecting pin 22. The pin 22 extends transversely through the shaft 18 and its opposed ends project into a pair of cam surfaces or slots 24 in a cylindrical cam 26 that surrounds the shaft 1-8 adjacent the actuating cylinder 1'2.

The cam 26 is attached to the face of the cylinder 12 by nut and lbolt assemblies 248 and the cam is stationary with respect to the moveable shaft 118. Thus as the piston 116 is actuated by uid (liquid or gas) pressure admitted through lines on ports 30 and 32 it causes the shaft 18 to be reciprocated axially through the cam 2,6 and the follower 22 causes the shaft 18 and cup 20 to be rotated by virtue of its contact with cam surfaces 24.

-The cam surfaces 24 circurn-scribe a path around the shaft 18 and are designed such that as the piston 16 approaches the end of its rearward travel (-tiuid admitted to port 32) the sampling cup 20- is in a discharge position angularly of the shaft 18 and deposits its sample in a receiving tray 34. Continued withdrawal of the cup 20 by shaft 18 moves the cup past tray 34 where it is washed by a suitable fluid or water spray nozzle 36.

The operation of the sampling apparatus 10 is more easily understood by referring to the circuit 38 of FIG. 1 which is a suitable system that provides for continued or periodic operation of the apparatus.

An electrical source 40 provides electrical power for a continuous timer 42 which in turn is provided with a cam 414. The timer 42 at selected time intervals causes the carn ice 44 to close a switch 46 to admit electrical power to a solenoid 60. The motor 48 of a pump 50 is also connected to the electrical source 40 and the pump 50 which supplies uid pressure via control valve 52 to por-t 30 causing the piston 16 to move shaft 18 forward. The shaft 118 is moved forward and its follower 2-2 in cam surfaces 24 ca-uses the shaft 18, the piston 16, and the cup 20` to rotate. As cup 20 reaches an upright or vertical position with respect to shaft 18 and ends of follower 2Q are in portions 24a of cam surfaces 24 and thus remain in portions 24a (which are parallel to shaft 18) until the cup is inverted and the sample discharged. The cup 20' moves into the uid 54 in the storage tank or bin 56 and thus becomes filled with a suitable sample.

When switch 46 was closed the solenoid 60 was momentarily energised and positioned the control valve 52 (the valve 52 is a self-return valve by virtue of spring 52a) to admit pressure to port 3-2. Thus the piston 16, the shaft 18 and the sample cup 20 are returned to their original position as a spring 46a returns the switch 46 to a normally open position when released bythe cam 44. The above procedure will be repeated each time the cam 44 is actuated by the timer 4t2.

As seen in FIG. 1 throttle or control valves 31 and 33 are provided and can be adjusted to allow free uid flow into the cylinder 12 and can be adjusted to control the flow leaving .the cylinder to provide a smooth perfectly timed action.

In some instances it may be desirable to override the timer 42 to obtain a special sampling. In the latter case the switch 46 is manually depressed thus sending an electrical impulse to the solenoid 60 to obtain the desired sample.

The actuating cylinder herein employed can be either a fluid or a hydraulic cylinder and accordingly the motor and pump should be of the same type in order to provide a compatible system. It is to be further pointed out that an adequate fluid or hydraulic supply source is inherent with the appropriate pump in order to be awailable for use with the system.

The sampling cup 20 of the invention is easily detached from the shaft 118` by loosening a pair of nuts 20m (see FIG. 3) which secure the cup 20 by virtue of a threaded portion 2Gb to the shaft 18. The cup may, for all practical purposes be of the inexpensive throw-way type so that numerous substances can be sampled by moving either a storage bin filled with material into position or by moving the sampling apparatus to a convenient location for sampling. The apparatus may be operated by bottle gas, etc.

In the above specification I have presented a detailed description of my invention together with one of the ernbodiments by which it can be practiced. Certain changes, modifications and improvements will undoubtedly occur to those skilled in the art. It is there-fore my intention to cover the same within the scope of the appended claims.

Now therefore I claim:

1. In a sampling apparatus the combination including an air cylinder provided with a piston chamber and a reciprocal piston therein, a shaft operatively connected to said piston and provided with a sampling cup and a cam follower said shaft being dispose-d adjacent the sur- Iface of a fluid material to be sampled and angularly disposed with respecct thereto, a cylindrical cam means attached to one end of said air cylinder and surrounding said shaft, a cam surface in said cam and circumscribing a substantially helical path around a portion of said cam and said shaft, said follower operatively engaging said cam surface and cooperating with said surface to rotate said shaft and said cup between a first extended upright material receiving position and a second retracted material discharge position during the actuation of said piston.

2. In a sampling apparatus the combination including a fluid actuator means having a reciprocal piston, a sampling means cooperating with said piston and movable to and from a material to be sampled during said movement, and a cam means and cam follower associated with said piston to cause rotation of said piston and said cup during said reciprocation said cup receiving a sample olf said material at a rst position, discharging said material at a second position and terninating its movement in a third position, means being provided for cleaning angularly of said cup.

3. In apparatus :for taking samples of either liquid or particulate m-aterials the combination includ-ing an air cylinder provided with a piston chamber and a reciprocal piston therein, a shaft operatively connected to said piston and provided with a sampling cup and a cam follower thereon, a cam means encompassing a portion of said shaft and provided with a cam surface circumscribing a path around said shaft, said follower operatively engaging said surf-ace andl cooperating with said surface to move said cup` between a material (receiving position and a material discharge position during the reciprocal movement of said piston and said shaft, said combination being supported by said air cylinder.

References Cited by the Examiner DAVID SCHONBERG, Examiner.

S. C. SWISHER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SAMPLING APPARATUS THE COMBINATION INCLUDING AN AIR CYLINDER PROVIDED WITH A PISTON CHAMBER AND A RECIPROCAL PISTON THEREIN, A SHAFT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON AND PROVIDED WITH A SAMPLING CUP AND A CAM FOLLOWER SAID SHAFT BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT THE SURFACE OF A FLUID MATERIAL TO BE SAMPLED AND ANGULARLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT THERETO, A CYLINDRICAL CAM MEANS ATTACHED TO ONE END OF SAID AIR CYLINDER AND SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT, A CAM SURFACE IN SAID CAM AND CIRCUMSCRIBING A SUBSTANTIALLY HELICAL PATH AROUND A PORTION OF SAID CAM AND SAID SHAFT, SAID FOLLOWER OPERATIVELY ENGAGING SAID CAM SURFACE AND COOPERATING WITH SAID SURFACE TO ROTATE SAID SHAFT AND SAID CUP BETWEEN A FIRST EXTENDED UPRIGHT MATERIAL RECEIVING POSITION AND A SECOND RETRACTED MATERIAL DISCHARGE POSITION DURING THE ACTUATING OF SAID PISTON. 